The article of Jan. 19 regarding the Natchez-Adams School Board’s desire for improved ACT (college entrance exam) scores prompts a reply.

I am a math teacher at Natchez High School, thus I have a stake in the discussion.

I applaud the desire to see improved scores, the first steps taken to explore solutions, and the commitment of funds for these steps. But I feel that there are some preliminary questions that must be addressed. Why are scores low? And as Dr. James Loftin, principal, pointed out, why is there so little student interest and success in the more rigorous classes? Why are students unprepared for ninth-grade, let alone college?

I have no easy answers, but offer a few thoughts:

Problems begin way before high school. By then, it is too late to change attitudes and behaviors. The ACT, SAT and other similar tests cannot be “crammed for” nor taught in a single class, but reflect a total educational experience.

Who might be to blame? We at the high school blame the junior high; they blame the elementary schools; the elementary schools blame kindergarten and pre-school; they blame the parents; the parents blame the high schools. And so it goes. The question must not be one of blame, but where intervention and changes can have the best results. By high school it is too late.

Rigorous classes and high standards must be implemented long before high school. I have ninth-grade students who cannot add single numbers. They have to be taught and reminded to count with their fingers. Some are not ready for fourth-grade, let alone Algebra!

I recently was tutoring a student who struggled when I asked, “What is one plus zero (1 + 0).” She even reached for a calculator for help. Some Algebra 2 students (juniors and seniors) cannot remember the basic rules of arithmetic. How can they possibly progress to the higher-level thinking skills expected on the college-entrance tests? Universities, and their entrance tests, assume students have taken college-prep classes, not basic or remedial ones.

In a ninth-grade class an assignment about 20 problems were given. This was the second day on the lesson, class time was given, and students could complete the assignment at home. One student out of 25 turned it in on time. In an Algebra 2 class (mostly seniors) we took two days and two overnights for a lesson. The assignment was less than 20 problems. Over 40 percent of students did not turn it in. Too often students expect grades they did not earn, to be “passed on” without knowing the material. When “the buck stops” and they are faced with high expectations and standards, they have no idea how to respond. As Dr. Loftin said, many fail or drop out of the higher level classes.

“The World is Flat” to quote Thomas Friedman. Our students are not in competition with their classmates. They are in competition with millions of students from India, Japan, Korea, China and any number of African countries who see their education as important. They are in competition with millions of students in this country, state and county who take learning seriously. We will never “improve ACT scores” until students value and are committed to learning, and demonstrate these attitudes by their behavior and by enrolling in demanding classes.

The board spoke of rigorous classes, honors classes, and Advanced Placement classes. Many schools are moving beyond AP classes! In math that means classes beyond calculus.

The nation and state value an educated populace. A goal of all education is to prepare students for their futures. But what is the future of Natchez? Have we brought into the idea that since there are only minimal jobs and opportunities available, we need only to offer a minimal education? Do parents and students see no need for an education since they cannot see beyond Adams County? I hope not, but fear so.

If this letter sounds too pessimistic, I apologize. I have some students to whom I would entrust my future. There are many questions, and I have offered no solutions. But I hope I have raised the issue that without drastic changes at the lower levels and with younger children, “improving ACT scores” is only a dream that will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

David Troutman

Natchez resident